Method and system for controlling the photolithography process

A measuring tool for use in automatic control of the operation of a processing tool arrangement of a kind utilizing photoresist based processing, which is to be applied to a workpiece for providing certain process results, the measuring tool comprising:

• (1) a spectrophotometer system configured for mounting within the processing tool arrangement upstream of a processing area with respect to the direction of workpiece progress within the processing tool arrangement, the spectrophotometer system being operable to apply measurements to the workpiece, and generate measured data indicative of spectral characteristics of the workpiece;
• (2) a control unit operating the spectrophotometric system to apply the measurements to the workpiece prior to being processed by a processing tool of said processing tool arrangement, said measured data being thereby indicative of at least one parameter of the workpiece that defines an optimal value of at least processing time parameter of said processing tool to be used in the processing of said workpiece to obtain certain process results, the control unit comprises a processor preprogrammed to be responsive to said measured data to analyze it for determining data indicative of the optimal value of said at least processing time parameter of said processing tool, and thereby enable calculation of a correction value to be applied to said at least processing time parameter of the processing tool prior to the processing of the workpiece, so as to enable obtaining said process results when applying the processing tool to said workpiece.

A measuring tool for use in monitoring a photoresist-based processing of a workpiece carried out by a processing tool arrangement to provide certain process results defining a pattern in the workpiece, the measuring tool comprising:

• (1) a spectrophotometer system configured for mounting within the processing tool arrangement upstream of a processing area with respect to the direction of workpiece progress within the processing tool arrangement, the spectrophotometer system being operable to apply measurements to the workpiece, and generate measured data indicative of spectral characteristics of the workpiece;
• (2) a control unit operating the spectrophotometric system to apply the measurements to the workpiece prior to being processed by a processing tool of said processing tool arrangement, said measured data being thereby indicative of at least one parameter of the workpiece that defines an optimal value of at least processing time parameter of said processing tool to be used in the processing of said workpiece to obtain certain process results, the control unit comprising a processor preprogrammed to be responsive to said measured data to analyze it for determining data indicative of the optimal value of said at least processing time parameter of said processing tool, and thereby enable calculation of a correction value to be applied to said at least processing time parameter of the processing tool prior to the processing of the workpiece, so as to enable obtaining said process results when applying the processing tool to said workpiece.

An integrated measuring tool for use with a photoresist-based processing tool arrangement for monitoring the processing applied to a workpiece to provide certain process results, the measuring tool comprising:

• (1) a spectrophotometer system configured for mounting within the processing tool arrangement upstream of a processing area with respect to the direction of workpiece progress within the processing tool arrangement, the spectrophotometer system being operable to apply measurements to the workpiece, and generate measured data indicative of spectral characteristics of the workpiece;
• (2) a control unit operating the spectrophotometric system to apply the measurements to the workpiece prior to being processed by a processing tool of said processing tool arrangement, said measured data being thereby indicative of at least one parameter of the workpiece that defines an optimal value of at least processing time parameter of said processing tool to be used in the processing of said workpiece to obtain certain process results, the control unit comprising a processor preprogrammed to be responsive to said measured data to analyze it for determining data indicative of the optimal value of said at least processing time parameter of said processing tool, and thereby enable calculation of a correction value to be applied to said at least processing time parameter of the processing tool prior to the processing of the workpiece, so as to enable obtaining said process results when applying the processing tool to said workpiece.

A production line comprising a photoresist-based processing tool arrangement operable to process successive workpieces progressing along the production line so as to provide certain process results, and a measuring tool installed so as to be applied to the operational workpiece prior to the processing thereof by a processing tool of the processing tool arrangement, said measuring tool comprising:

• (1) a spectrophotometer system configured for mounting within the processing tool arrangement upstream of a processing area with respect to the direction of workpiece progress within the processing tool arrangement, the spectrophotometer system being operable to apply measurements to the workpiece, and generate measured data indicative of spectral characteristics of the workpiece;
• (2) a control unit operating the spectrophotometric system to apply the measurements to the workpiece prior to being processed by a processing tool of said processing tool arrangement, said measured data being thereby indicative of at least one parameter of the workpiece that defines an optimal value of at least processing time parameter of said processing tool to be used in the processing of said workpiece to obtain certain process results, the control unit comprising a processor preprogrammed to be responsive to said measured data to analyze it for determining data indicative of the optimal value of said at least processing time parameter of said processing tool, and thereby enable calculation of a correction value to be applied to said at least processing time parameter of the processing tool prior to the processing of the workpiece, so as to enable obtaining said process results when applying the processing tool to said workpiece.